Garage door hanger



A118. 1943. w. a. DEURING GARAGE DOOR'HANGER Filed Feb. 16, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 17, 1943. w. a. DEURING GARAGE noon HANGER Filed Feb. 16, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 17, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GARAGE DOOR HANGER William G. Deuring, Cleveland, Ohio Application February 16, 1942, Serial No. 431,035

2 Claims.

This invention relates to one piece doors that are moved from a vertical closed position to an overhead horizontal position.

The principal object of this invention is, to provide a counterbalance assembly attached to the lever arms that permit the door to be tilted in, on an axis for a certain distance of the door travel and then rise to an overhead position.

These and other features of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following description and claims, together with accompanying drawings, in which like parts are designated by like reference characters and wherein:

Fig. l is a sectional view showing the door in a closed position.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view showing the door about one fourth open and at the opening end of the tilting action.

Fig. 3 is a broken sectional view) showing the door fully open.

Fig. 4 is a broken interior elevation view of the door in a closed position.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the counterbalance assembly attached to the short part of the lever arm mounted on the side bracket.

Fig. 6 is a broken horizontal cross sectional view taken along the line 11-11, Figure 4.

As shown in the drawings reference numeral I designates a door fitting an opening in a building. The opening is defined by'the side jambs 2 and a head jamb or lintel 3. As illustrated the door I is rigid and provided with trolley rollers 4 carried in brackets 5 by the links 6 which are fastened to the top of the door some distance in from each side. Extending rearwardly from the head jamb 3 to a part of the building frame I, Fig. 3, rails 8 are installed on which the trolley rollers 4 engage in supporting and guiding the upper part of the door after the end of the tilting movement in opening, and before the tilting movement in closing.

A lever arm 9 is shaped to form an angle, the long part being moveably carried by a pin III in a bracket II which is fastened to the bottom corners of the door, one on each side. The short part of the lever arm 9 is moveably carried by a pin I2 in a bracket I3 that is mounted about midway on both interior sides of the side jambs 2. An offset plate I4 is secured to the upper of the two arm portions of the lever arms 9 and is also moveably carried by the pin I2 in the side brackets I3. A U-shaped link having two equal portions is moveably carried by a pin I6 through a hole in the free end of the plate I4, Fig. 1. .A pin I1 is carried by the lower end of the link members I5. A supporting link I8, one end of which is moveably carried by the pin I2 in the side bracket I3, has its other end moveably connected to the free end of the formed plate I4 and the links I 5 by the pin I6. One end of a counterbalance spring I9 is moveably connected by the pin H which is carried by the lower end of the link members I5, and the other end is pivotally connected to the pin 20, Fig. 2, in the brackets II which are fastened to the lower part of the side jambs 2. A pull strap 22, Fig. 3, can be mounted on the interior surface of the door to facilitate a closing of the door from an overhead position.

To open the door I, assuming the door to be closed as in Fig. l, the upper part of the door I is pushed in, until the, trolley rollers l, are in a position on the rails 8 to slidably support the upper part of the door I. Up to this point the trolley rollers have been idle as the travel of the door I has been caused by a tilting movement, by the pivoting on the pin I2 in the side bracket I3. Meanwhile the upper part of they spring I9 moveably connected to the pin H in the lower part of the links I5 has moved in a short are having little effect on the tension of the extended spring I9 which up to this point has acted as a radius. Beyond this point in the opening travel of the door I, the radius line of the spring travel has passed the pivot axis pin I2 in the side bracket I3 causing the extended spring I9 to contract and the juncture of the angularly related parts of the lever arm 9 is pulled away from the inside surface of the door I. The door I then rises to an open position.

To close the door I, the door is pulled out by a strap 22, Fig. 3, fastened to the bottom of the inside surface of the door I and forced downward. The angle lever arms 9 then exert a force that extends the counterbalance spring I9 by means of the connecting link members I! and the formed plates I4 which are attached to the short part of the lever arms 8. When the juncture of the angularly related parts of the lever arms 9 contact the inside surface of the door I, the door pivots on the pin I2 in the side bracket I3 and the door I starts a tilting movement. The extended counterbalance spring I9 at this point starts to move in a short are towards the door opening. As the radius line of the spring travel passes forward of the pin I2 in the side bracket I3, the extended spring I9 exerts a force to close the door I. This force also tends to hold the door I to the opening.

A feature of this invention is the connecting link members I5 that permit the radius line of spring travel to pass the pivot pin I2 in the side bracket I3 in the tilting action of the door I.

Having described the invention and in what manner the same may be used; what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In an overhead door adapted to assume a vertical position when closed and an elevated horizontal position when open, guide means for carrying the upper end of the door in a horizontal path, a lever pivoted to each vertical side of the door frame and having a door supporting arm pivotally connected to the lower portion of the door, said arm comprising two angularlyrelated portions with the included angle facing away from the door, a plate secured to the upper of the two arm portions and forming in conjunction with the arm the aforesaid lever, a U-shaped link pivoted at the upper end to the free end of the plate and a spring means connected between the lower end of the link and a fixed support on the door frame.

2. In an overhead door adapted to assume a vertical position when closed and an elevated horizontal position when open, guide means for carrying the upper end of the door in a horizontal path, a lever pivoted to each vertical side of the door frame, said lever pivotally supported by a pin bearing at each end in the two spaced sides of a bracket, a door supporting arm pivotally connected to the lower portion of the door, said arm comprising two angularly related portions with the included angle facing away from the door, a plate secured to the upper of the two arm portions and forming in conjunction with the arm the aforesaid lever, said plate being offset so that the free end is in a vertical line with a point midway between the two sides of the bracket, 9, supporting-link connecting the free end of the plate to the pivot pin which is journaled in the sides of the bracket, a U-shaped link including two similarly shaped members having spaced end portions, said link being pivoted at the upper end to the free end of the plate, the free end of the plate and the upper end of the supporting link being positioned between the two upper end portions of the U-shaped link and a spring means connected between the two lower end portions of the U-shaped link and a fixed support on the door frame.

WILLIAM G. DEURING. 

